Minister suspends four cops during visit to police stations

Rawalpindi-State Minister on Interior Shehryar Afridi paid surprise visits to the three police stations in the wee hours of Wednesday and directed the city police chief to suspend two Station House Officers and two of their subordinates for detaining innocent citizens in police stations, informed sources.

However, City Police Officer (CPO) Abbas Ahsan refused to place SHOs of Police Stations Pirwadhai and Ganjdmandi Raja along with two other constables under suspension.

According to sources, Minsiter of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi paid surprise visits to police stations Ratta Amral, Pirwadhai and Ganjmandi and inspected the police lockup while also reviewing the records of the people held there.

Sources said Shehryar Afridi arrived at PS Pirwadhai at 12:15am and checked the police record, Roznamcha and frisked the lock ups, where he found several citizens detained by the police. The detainees told the Minister that they were arrested despite proving their identity with Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs). Sources added Minister asked about whereabouts of SHO PS Pirwadhai, who was not present at the Police Station. The Minister ordered CPO to suspend SHO and the two Constables who had arrested and locked up the innocent citizens.

The Minister also paid a surprise visit to PS Ganjmandi at 1:15am and inspected the police record in office of Moharer. The minister also issued orders for suspension of SHO PS Ganjmandi.

Later on Minister proceeded to PS Ratta Amral at 2am where he snubbed the officials over lack of cleanliness in the offices, barracks and lock ups. He directed the SHOs to clean the police stations or else strict action would be taken against them.

Shehryar Afridi also directed the duty officers to address the complaints of the people at the police station. He also asked the senior police officers of Rawalpindi to pay surprise visits to police stations to check wrongdoings of their subordinates.

On the other hand, CPO Rawalpindi Abbas Ahsan called on State Minister on Interior in Islamabad and held a meeting with him. During the meeting, CPO requested minister to inform him prior before visiting any police station in Rawalpindi. CPO also brought into notice of Minister the problems being faced by Punjab police.

A senior police officer, when contacted, confirmed suspension of SHO PS Pirwadhai Raja Abdul Rasheed by CPO on directions of State Minister on Interior Shehryar Afridi.